The Outcast
by starrynight32
Summary: Two bright, healthy kits are born into StormClan. At first, the Clan is thrilled at their arrival, but when one of the kits is born with strange eyes, they are disgusted and treat him as an outsider. This is the outcast's story. *please leave comments*
1. Allegiances

STORMCLAN:

LEADER: TROUTSTAR- black and silver tabby tom (Fireflylight and Cloudysky's father)

DEPUTY: BERRYFROST- brown tom

MEDICINE CAT: QUAILFEATHER- long-haired orange tabby with a broad, flat face

WARRIORS:

CEDARPELT- brown tom with white underbelly and paws

STORMFLOWER- pale silvery tabby (Quailfeather and Cedarpelt's mother)

RAVENCLAW- black tom with white underbelly

APPERENTICE, FEATHERPAW

WILLOWFUR- tabby tom

CLOUDYSKY- white she-cat with gray splotches

BREEZETAIL- light brown tabby she-cat

CLEARWATER- pale gray tom

APPRENTICE, THRUSHPAW

STARLINGFLIGHT- pale gray tabby tom

HONEYWHISKER- creamy she-cat

KINKTAIL- a crooked-tailed orange she-cat

QUEENS:

HAWKFOOT- dark red-brown queen (mother of Willowfur's kits- Tawnykit and Daisykit)

FIREFLYLIGHT- ginger and white she-cat (expecting Ravenclaw's kits)

DOELEAP- dark brown she-cat with black-spotted fur and white underbelly (mother to Leopardkit and Brownkit)

ELDERS:

LOUDSTORM- big gray tom

HAZELNOSE- gray and white tom

MORNINGCLOUD- long-haired reddish brown she-cat (Doeleap's mother)

WINDSONG- small dusty brown she-cat

APPRENTICES:

FEATHERPAW- pretty long-haired silver-gray she-cat (father- Cedarpelt, mother- Honeywhisker)

THRUSHPAW- brown tabby tom (Featherpaw's brother)

KITS:

TAWNYKIT- ginger she-cat

DAISYKIT- long-furred creamy tabby

LEOPARDKIT- brown tom with black-spotted fur and unusual dark green eyes

BROWNKIT- dark brown tabby tom with bright green eyes


	2. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Roaring winds blew over the moor. Dark clouds swirled overhead. Lightning flashed, lighting up the night sky. Rain battered the dens in which the StormClan cats slept.

Through the bramble walls of the nursery, Quailfeather could see the brewing storm. He knew it was a sign: a great power would be born tonight. His attention snapped back to the queen giving birth. She was lying on her side, gasping for air as another wave of pain shook her body.

"I-It hurts...," she whimpered.

"I know," Quailfeather whispered. He stroked her cheek gently with his tail tip. "Be strong. You're almost there, Doeleap."

Another contraction gripped the dark brown queen. She hissed and yowled in pain.

The first kit was coming.

Quailfeather leaned down in time to see a kit slither out onto the moss. He gave it a lick, then placed the tiny, wriggling bundle at its mother's belly.

"Everything okay?" A ginger and white cat was calling from her nest in the corner of the den, eyes wide with concern.

"One down and one to go," the medicine cat replied, not taking his eyes off Doeleap.

Doeleap shuddered as a spasm shook her. A ripple passed through her belly, and then a second kit slid into the nest. Quailfeather caught it in his teeth and placed it beside its littermate.

Doeleap reached for her kits at once, licking them both til they mewled. "They're both toms."

Quailfeather turned toward the ginger and white she-cat. "Fireflylight, please get Doeleap some water. I'll stay and make sure nothing goes wrong."

The queen nodded, then got up and slowly padded out of the den.

He waited until she was gone, then pressed his muzzle against Doeleap's. "I love you..."

A purr rumbled in her throat. "I love you, too." She gazed warmly at her sons. "Aren't they beautiful?"

Quailfeather's amber eyes glowed. "Beautiful... and ours." His gaze locked onto his firstborn kit. He was like his mother, only a lighter shade of brown. Quailfeather brushed his paw across the kit's forehead. "Look, he has your spots..."

"Then let's name him Leopardkit," Doeleap mewed. "It suits him."

"And this one can be Brownkit," Quailfeather said, touching his second son's head with his tail tip. The tiny tom's tabby markings were identical to his father's, though his fur color was dark brown like Doeleap.

Outside, the storm began to settle. The pounding rain became light taps, and thunder became small rumbles.

"Leopardkit and Brownkit," Doeleap murmured. "They're perfect. It's just a shame they can't both be leaders of StormClan."


	3. Chapter 1

"Leopardkit..."

Dawn light filtered through the wall of the nursery. A cool breeze drifted through the entrance, making the brambles rustle. The scents of new-leaf filled the air.

"Leopardkit?"

Laying in a nest of moss, a small brown kit slept. Jet-black spots ran all over his body. He stirred, feeling a tiny paw poke his side.

"Leopardkit!"

"W-Wha What is it?"

"Leopardkit, wake up. It's me, Brownkit."

"Brownkit?"

"Yes, now open your eyes. I want to see what color they are."

Leopardkit rolled over onto his back, half asleep, and covered his face with his paws. "Don't wanna!"

"Oh, come _on, _Leopardkit. There's so much to see! Pleeeeeeease?"

Leopardkit sighed. "Fine." Hesitantly, he sat up and yawned. He swallowed nervously. Question whirled around in his head. What was the world like? Was it as great as it smelled? Slowly Leopardkit stretched open his eyes for the first time. At first his vision was blurry, but as his eyes adjusted to the light, he became aware of a shadowed figure standing a tail-length away. It was another kit. He had dark brown fur, and tabby markings that covered most of his pelt and face. His green eyes were wide with astonishment.

Leopardkit blinked. "Brownkit?"

The kit nodded, staring straight into Leopardkit's eyes.

Leopardkit looked at him for a moment, then said, "Now I know why they call you Brownkit."

Brownkit smiled, and the look of surprise faded. He jerked his head toward and opening in the bramble wall. "Want ot go check out the camp?" At Leopardkit's nod, he turned and headed for the opening.

Leopardkit was about to follow, but then he spotted a tuft of white and ginger fur sticking out of a nest in the corner. Looking closer, he saw that it was a cat. "Who's that?" he whispered to Brownkit.

Brownkit glanced over his shoulder at him. "That's Fireflylight. She doesn't have kits yet."

"Where are they?"

Brownkit just shrugged and walked off.

"H-Hey! Wait up!" Leopardkit bounded after him. Sunlight stung his eyes as he wriggled through the brambles and tumbled out into the open. He blinked away the glare and gasped. The camp was huge! Much bigger than he had imagined. A vast, grassy clearing stretched away to a giant boulder that reached up to the gray, gloomy sky. Leopardkit assumed it was Thunderrock, where the leader made announcements. He'd heard the queens in the nursery talk about it. Two warriors sat at the base, sharing prey. One of them was a big black and silver tabby, the other was a pretty light brown tabby.

"That's Troutstar," Brownkit said, nodding to the tom. "He's the Clan _leader, _and that's his mate, Breezetail. Mom said they were Fireflylight's parents."

Leopardkit stared at Troutstar. _He's the leader. That must mean he's the strongest cat in the Clan. I... I want to be like him. I want to be __StormClan's leader. Then I'll be __Leopardstar... _Brownkit's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Look! It's Berryfrost!"

Leopardkit followed his brother's excited gaze to where a brown tom almost as big as Troutstar had emerged from a clump of ferns. The tom yawned and stretched, then padded over to a large pile of freshly-killed prey. He gave a polite nod to a pale silver tabby, who was taking a bite out of a mouse. "Stormflower." The she-cat's only response was a flick of her ears.

Brownkit could hardly keep still. "Berryfrost is Troutstar's deputy," he explained. "Tawnykit and Daisykit told me Hawkfoot said he was our father."

_Tawnykit? __Daisykit? __Hawkfoot? What with all these names...? _"Really? Let's go meet him, then." Ignoring Brownkit's protests to wait, Leopardkit trotted off toward the big brown warrior.

Brownkit barged ahead of him. "Me first!"

Leopardkit stifled a purr as Brownkit skidded through the mud and to a halt in front of Berryfrost.

Brownkit turned red in embarrassment. "U-Um..."

Berryfrost looked down at him, blinking.

"M-My name i-is B-Brownkit," the little dark tabby stammered, not meeting the warrior's gaze. "I'm Doeleap's son." He glanced up and saw Berryfrost smiling.

Leopardkit stepped forward to stand beside his brother. "I'm Doeleap's other son. My name is Leopardkit."

"Is that so? Well, I'm Berryfrost, your-" At the sight of him, Berryfrost's smile instantly faded. He looked away. "Oh... I see. That's, um, not surprising, seeing as how much you look like her. You even have the same color...eyes."

Brownkit swished his tail in the air. "We look like you, too!"

"Ah, yes. S-Sort of, I guess..."

Leopardkit tilted his head to one side. Was it just him, or did the StormClan deputy look... uncomfortable? "Is something wrong?"

Stormflower looked up from her mouse. Her eyes widened. "Oh, my. What an ugly kit!"

Leopardkit flinced away. "W-What?"

The fur along Brownkit's spine bristled. "What did you say about my brother?"

Stormflower cleared her throat. "I said, _what an ugly kit!"_ she sneered. Sticking her nose in the air, she glared down her silver muzzle at them. "I'm glad your not _my _kin."

Berryfrost shot her a feirce glance. "Stormflower, stop that. He's only a kit. Leopardkit, she didn't mean- hey, wait! Leopardkit!"

Leopardkit ignored him. He turned and ran away. All around him, cats were looking at him like he had grown antlers. Why were they all staring? What was wrong with him? He kept running until he was well hidden behind a big boulder. A moment later Brownkit caught up to him.

"Are... a-are you..." he said, trying to catch his breath.

Leopardkit stared at his paws. "Brownkit, your my brother right? I can trust you to tell me the truth, right?"

Brownkit nodded. "Of course, Leopardkit."

"Then tell me... what do I look like?"

The question seemed to take Brownkit by suprise. "Um, well... your fur is a shade lighter than mine. And you look a lot like mom! She has spots too, you know. I'm kind of jealous about that, and you-"

"That's not what I meant."

"... I know. Maybe I should just show you. Come with me." Brownkit led his brother to a small puddle beside the bramble barrier surrounding the camp. The water was brown and muddy, but a reflection was still possible. Leopardkit looked down into the water, and what he saw shocked the breath from him.

_How am I going to be __Leopardstar __now?_


End file.
